


It Only Takes A Second To Be Ruined

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-14 19:51:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14143314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: That second was years and decades and eons. And Bruce knew what that was like. Bruce knew what that was like ten times over. And he wouldn't wish that feeling on his worst enemy, let alone his tiny, vulnerable thirteen year old son.





	It Only Takes A Second To Be Ruined

**Author's Note:**

> This is garbage, I don't know. I'm all about Bruce being hella pensive about his kids these days I guess.

It was a blur, how things ended up this way.

He and Jon were just hanging out. Not in costume, just as Jon and Damian, not Superboy and Robin.

They’d stumbled upon a human trafficking ring, snatching kids in the middle of the day. They were taken, they were thrown into cages with other children. Younger children. Knew they couldn’t leave without helping.

So they played along, pretended to be scared. Took the abuse and let their very real anger out when the other was hurt, or any other child they were captured with.

Were about to launch a plan. Attack their kidnappers, fight those buying children, when suddenly their fathers showed up. Batman and Superman, along with Wonder Woman and a few members of their family. Red Hood and Supergirl. Drake and Conner. All whooshing in to save their boys. To save them and these innocent kids they looked so much like.

Nightwing was among them too, though Damian only saw him in passing. Fighting elsewhere while Jon and Damian worked to escape and get their peers to safety, while they were passed between their fathers and siblings and other heroes. Being _babied_ , and Damian _hated_ that, but there were more pressing matters right now than pride.

And they won – as expected. The kids were saved, Jon and Damian were saved. The villains were caught and they could all regroup.

Jon and Damian were walking back to the central scene of the crime, the building they and the other children were being held. Already, they could see the imposing figures of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.

They were facing away from them, looking down at a large, colorful tarp. Batman was crouched next to it.

And it was only as they got closer that Damian realized there was a shape in the tarp, that the shape was a person.

That the person was Nightwing.

He could see him, could see his head and his shoulders. There was blood on his face and his eyes were closed. But that was him. That was undeniably his older brother.

And his mind went blank. _Everything_ went blank. He must have screamed, because Jon suddenly jumped next to him, immediately asking him what was wrong.

Damian didn’t answer, just took off running. Clark must have heard him scream too, because he was instantly turning towards him. Diana turned too, just as Clark suddenly flew towards him to meet him halfway.

Next thing he knew he was swept up in Superman’s arms, could hear Superboy running up behind him. He didn’t care, though. Clawed at Clark’s shoulders and chest with all his might, kicked at his chest, screaming for Nightwing as loud as he could.

“Damian.” Clark tried softly. “Damian, it’s okay. It’s not what you think-”

“Nightwing!” Damian continued, tears already falling down his face. “I have to see him. I have to see him! I can save him! _I can still save him_ , I can-!”

Clark grunted, tried to switch his grip, but Damian was squirming too much. Diana watched them for a second, then glanced down at Bruce. Bruce looked up at her, then over his shoulder in confusion.

“Superman, let me go.” Damian breathed, eyes locked on his brother. He didn’t care about his father. Didn’t care about the superheroes around him, or the one holding him. “Let me go, I need to get to Nightwing. I _need_ to-”

Suddenly – Nightwing’s eyes opened.

“Nigh…” Damian stopped breathing. Thought he was about to puke as Dick turned towards him, his own eyes alarmed. “Nightwing…?”

The world came whoosing back. Superman holding him, his friend tugging at his shirt. The buildings around them, the situation they just escaped from. His father, and Diana Prince.

“He thought you were dead.” He heard Diana explaining to Dick, as Dick sat up and struggled to get out from underneath the tarp. “I believe he thought you were gone.”

“Oh.” Dick murmured as Bruce helped him free himself. Immediately, he was up, jogging on a limping leg towards Clark. Clark tried to say something, but much like Damian, Dick didn’t listen, grabbing Damian and dragging him into his own embrace. “Oh, Damian, it’s okay. I’m still here.”

Damian clung to his shoulders even harder than he had Clark’s. He probably drew blood with his nails, if either of them were paying attention. But they weren’t, Damian was too focused on the painful relief washing through his chest, and Dick was too busy rubbing his spine.

“Sorry, kiddo.” Dick murmured, like he was talking to a baby. “I just fell. Not like off a building either, just stumbled over my own two feet. The sheet fell off the billboard up on the building. Bruce and them just found me, we were just talking. I was being lazy.”

“Lazy.” Damian repeated shakily, like in disbelief. “ _Lazy_.”

“I’m so sorry I scared you.” Dick breathed, kissing Damian’s head. “If I’d have known you were here, I’d have been on my feet ready to scold the crap out of you.” He leaned back, holding Damian’s face with one hand. “What have I told you about getting kidnapped?”

“Don’t try to distract me, you…you…” He dug his nails even further into Dick’s collarbone. Dick winced, but didn’t say anything. “… _asshole_.”

“Hey, I think _you’re_ the asshole here.” Dick said plainly. He heard Jon gasp in scandal, and Clark chuckle while he attempted to distract him. “Do you know what it’s like getting a phone call telling you your baby brother and his best friend have been kidnapped by some violent human traffickers when you’re hundreds of miles away?” He released Damian’s cheek, only to tap his finger against his nose. “It sucks, that’s what it feels like. The whole world’s crumbling and there’s nothing you can do about it, that’s what it feels like, too.”

“I was _fine_.” Damian still tried, still shaken, though a little mad now. “You were the one lying on the ground like a _corpse_.”

“I’m sorry.” Dick tried again. It was clear Damian wasn’t accepting it, too high on the pain at the thought of losing Dick still himself. “Any way I can make it up to you?”

“Move back into the manor. Take me to and pick me up from that stupid school every day. Assist me with walking Titus every evening at dusk. Practice swordplay with me during every morning training. Weekly movie nights where I pick the movie and Drake and Todd aren’t invited.” Damian listed off, like he had this prepared for ages. He suddenly looked over Dick’s shoulder. “Can you make that happen, Father?”

“I can promise you a month for sure.” Bruce laughed, coming up and patting Dick on the shoulder. “Maybe two.”

Dick had the gall to look offended. “Bruce!”

“You _did_ scare him.” Bruce smirked. “Scared me a little too, if I’m honest. Then made me kneel down to talk to you, when you _know_ Alfred’s been on my case about resting my left knee since my last fracture. So…I hate to admit it, Nightwing, but you _absolutely_ deserve this.”

“Lazy.” Dick snorted incredulously, dragging Damian’s head back down to rest on his shoulder anyway. “I was lazy for _once in my life_ , and this is the grief I get.”

“I’d feel bad for you, but.” Bruce shrugged. “Maybe you’ll think before yelling at me too much next time.” He grinned at his own terrible joke, running a hand over Damian’s head. “I’m glad you’re safe, Damian. You didn’t have just Nightwing worried, you know.”

He glanced up at Bruce with big, innocent eyes. Dick groaned loudly at the obvious act. “Apologies, Father.”

“Mhm. I’m just glad you and Jon are alright.” Bruce reiterated, then glanced at Dick. “And you, too.”

“Sorry, _Dad_.” Dick droned. “Any way I can make it up to you either?”

“Yes. Take care of you brother. Makes sure he stays safe.” Bruce still said it warmly, but there was an underlying concern that only Dick could hear. The concern of an old man who has seen too much, worked too hard and regretted the time lost with his children. “Starting right now. We need to finish up this case, mind getting Damian and Jon back to the manor for the night?”

“I’ll even make them milkshakes before I tuck ‘em in and sing them lullabies.” Dick sighed, but it was more content than annoyed. Damian suddenly squirmed, a clear sign he wanted back on his own two feet, but Dick was feeling vindictive. Kept a firm hold on his legs even as he turned towards the Kent boys and held out his hand. “Come on, Jonno. I’ll let you pick what oversized bed you want to sleep in first, okay?”

Jon nodded silently, accepted a kiss to his cheek from Clark, then hooked his fingers around Dick’s.

“…I’m glad you’re not dead.” Jon whispered as Dick took them away. Damian was still clinging to his shoulders like his life depended on it, and Bruce had a feeling he wouldn’t let go until they got back to the house. “Damian would have been _unbearable_.”

Dick laughed out loud, but leaned his head on Damian’s anyway. Bruce watched Damian close his eyes in relief, and felt his heart break for his youngest, just a little.

For, while the situation had turned out slightly comical, it was reality to him, for that second. _Just_ that second.

But that second was long enough. That second was years and decades and eons. And Bruce knew what that was like. Bruce knew what that was like ten times over. And he wouldn’t wish that feeling on his worst enemy, let alone his tiny, vulnerable thirteen year old son.

He sighed and turned back to Clark and Diana, making a mental note to make those two months into at least six, for poor Damian’s sake.


End file.
